Done to a crisp

22nd September 2006

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has launched its Food4Thought campaign to highlight the damage that hidden salt, fat and sugar in common foods can do.

Experts warn that children 'drink' almost five litres of cooking oil every year as a result of their pack-a-day crisp habit. A dramatic advert with the caption "What goes into crisps goes into you" will be appearing nationwide.

The British Heart Foundation say that nearly a fifth of children eat two packets of crisps per day. There are approximately two-and-a-half teaspoons of oil in a typical 35g bag of crisps, with a larger 50g pack contains three-and-a-half.

BHF would like to see cooking skills being a compulsory part of schooling, and is also recommending a ban on the marketing of junk food products to children, particularly on the internet and TV.

Initiatives by the BHF include sending over-sized burger boxes to 2,500 UK schools as teaching resources, with over 200 schoolchildren volunteering to become BHF Young Ambassadors, lobbying their schools, local media and MPs.